Author: Justice

Unplugged: Drawing Near to Him

Posted on by Justice

Have you ever gone to charge your phone, connected the cord and left it, only to come back hours later and find that it hadn’t charged? I know this has happened to me countless times with all of my technology. Far too often I would go to plug in a device and find out that my cord had been unplugged from the power bank or outlet. When this happens, I am deceived into thinking that my phone is gaining power, when in truth it simply sits there. The same thing can happen in our relationship with Jesus.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” In John 15:1 Jesus gives the analogy of Himself being the vine. Just like an outlet the vine gives power and strength to those who are connected to it. Later on in the chapter Jesus says: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4) What we can see here is that the only way for us to live productive lives as Christians is when we are plugged in to Jesus our only source of true spiritual power.

Now I get it, the example of Jesus as the true vine is often over-used. I’ve heard it countless times, but it conveys a message that is scattered throughout the scripture: ‘Jesus alone can give us the strength we need to live in the freedom God intends for us.’ So, what happens when we think we are plugged in, but we aren’t? I believe that just like with our phones, we can think we are receiving power, when we aren’t even connected to the outlet. How does this happen? Through unconfessed sin. Psalm 66:18 says: “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” Sin keeps us from God, even the tiniest sin that we hold on to can keep us from Him. Isaiah 59:1-2 says: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” There is some terrifying truth behind this. When we are living with sin in our lives, no matter how hard we try to be a “good Christian”, we will not have God’s favor or power working through us.

How often do we attend church, go to Bible study, and serve in ministries in our own power? How often do we think we are plugged in to God when we ourselves have pulled the cord? It can be really easy to get sucked into a religious routine, and when this happens, the devil is ready to pounce. 1 Peter 5:8 says: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” I would like to make the argument that when we are feeling at our “highest” spiritually the devil is most likely to attack. It is at that time that we become less vigilant and begin to relax as the wind directs our sails. It is then, that he sneaks in and tricks us into pulling the cord. We get disconnected from God, but we think that we are receiving power. We follow the routine without the Holy Spirit truly working in us, and this leads to further sin. I know this, because it began to happen to me. I’m writing this because I realized that I was getting caught in the routine. I went from an all-time spiritual high where I felt on fire for Jesus to feeling separated from Him. This happened because while I thought I was charging I had forgotten to check to see if I was plugged in. I began to trust in my own Bible reading more than the One who authored it. I had fallen for the devil’s trap.

Thankfully, there is hope for all of us who have foolishly pulled the cord on our relationship with Jesus. It may have been an accident, but the effects are still the same. James 4:8 & 10 provide us with a plan to reconnect to Jesus. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double minded… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” Humility is the solution. We often become unplugged because we trust in our own strength. We need to trust wholly in God. He loves us and wants what’s best for us. Without Him we are completely powerless, but when we repent, and become reconnected, He can and will do amazing things in our lives.

The Styrofoam Cake

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I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a little kid, and I was about to have my whole world torn apart. We were walking through Hy-Vee, and I was practically drooling at the sight of the massive cakes on display in the bakery department. It was at that point that I began to formulate a plan. (Readers Note: I formulate all kinds of absolutely destructive and sometime purely evil ideas. Thankfully I never execute them, I just enjoy the process of planning.) I would steal one of the massive cakes. All I had to do was drop it in the cart and run away. I’ll be honest, it seemed like one of the best ideas I’d ever had. Sure, it went against my morals; but look at that cake. It would be worth it. It was then that I pitched my idea to my parents, because I honestly had no intention of going through with it. They listened and then informed me that all those beautiful cakes were just a facade. It turns out on the inside these cakes were simply Styrofoam. Underneath the layers of sugary goodness lay something far worse than I could have ever imagined. Now I’m just glad I found out before I tried to take the cake.

You might be wondering why I spent so much time sharing my experience at the grocery store. Well, here’s why. Matthew 7:13 says: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” From this verse, we can see that the road of sin looks good, and it seems easy. Sadly, we can also see that many people fall for the deception of the easy road. It looks good, but it leads to destruction. This destruction is eternal separation from God. An eternity spent suffering in the fires of hell. I tried to find one good verse to sum up what hell is like, and I couldn’t, but I can tell you this, you don’t want to go there. (Some verses that provide a helpful description: Matthew 13:42, Revelation 20:10 & 14, Luke 16:19-31) The way of sin will always look appealing to us. If we allow ourselves to dwell upon it, we will become just like I did with the Styrofoam cakes. Infatuated. Many of the great people in the Bible gave into sin because it looked good to them. Why did Adam and Eve ignore God’s warning about the fruit? Why did Abraham try to rush God’s plans? Why did David commit adultery? All of these people sinned because it looked good, and in each circumstance, it was followed by shame and regret. They took a big bite of the cake, only to realize that it was all a lie.

I can think of many times in my life where I made the mistake of chasing after the “Styrofoam cake” of sin. It looked so good to me at the time, but once I had taken a bite, I felt so guilty. I’m sure you’ve made similar mistakes as well. The question is: what can we do to keep ourselves on the narrow path of righteousness? How can we keep ourselves from falling for the lies of sin again and again? We need to remind ourselves that Jesus is what we are truly looking for. When you feed on Him and His word, you will never be filled with shame and regret. John 6:26-27 says: “Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw the miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”” Jesus is telling us that He is truly satisfying. Unlike the facades that the devil offers us, Jesus is giving us something good and eternal. Not only is the bread that Jesus offers us better than the cake of the devil; it even has God’s stamp of approval on it!

No, I’m Not Dead Yet.

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Hello everyone, I know it’s been a long time since I last posted, and I wanted to apologize. Life gets crazy, and while it’s been a great adventure, I also had much less time during my summer than I had initially expected.

I started working full time (As close as my boss would let me get to full time.) at Dairy Chef, and that took up almost all of my day. When I wasn’t working, I had things to do around the house. Despite my desire to keep this site running, I was swept away by the day to day.

The good news is that I am back! You can expect to see more from me in the coming weeks, and I am hoping to get organized to the point in which I can ensure weekly posts! What that means is if you haven’t already now is the perfect time to subscribe, before you miss out on all that Life Adventure Games has to offer.

You Deserve This…

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When you pour your time and effort into a project, it’s really easy to feel like you deserve success. When the work you do doesn’t turn out the way you want, you tend to feel like you’ve been ripped off.

I’ve felt this way a lot for the past year. It was my last year in speech and debate, and this led me to dedicate even more time toward preparation for my events. When the competition season finally came around, I was ready to win. I honestly believed that I had earned it. This caused me to leave every tournament disappointed. Every time I felt like someone had stolen something that I deserved.

Let’s be honest. We all like to think that we deserve all of the good things that happen to us. However, the Bible says the exact opposite. Matthew 5:45 says: For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” This verse goes to show that God gives good things to everyone, not just those who deserve it. In fact, those who don’t deserve it are continually blessed because of His unfailing mercy.

Our culture relentlessly tells us that we deserve all kinds of good things. You deserve a raise, to be appreciated, a better car, good looks, even a new grill. The list goes on. We even try to persuade ourselves that we deserve all the gifts that God has given us. “The only thing we deserve is hell.” My dad would tell me this when I was younger. He’s right, we have earned eternal suffering. We deserve separation from God. Romans 3:23 says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Exactly three chapters later in Romans 6:23, Paul explains: “For the wages of sin is death.” The Bible is very clear with us. It tells us exactly what we deserve, and it’s not good things. We are worthy of punishment. Thankfully Paul continues the verse: “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The desire to earn the blessings of God finds its roots in our pride. I was proud of myself and my cases. I foolishly trusted in them to get me the win. When I didn’t come out on top, I was disappointed and even angry. If you ever feel like you have been robbed of something you deserve, I want to remind you: “The only thing you deserve is hell.” Thankfully Jesus had mercy on us. He held back His judgement and instead died to save us from our sins and our pride. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Our works will never be able to earn our salvation. Jesus died to save us, and He offers us the greatest gift that we will never deserve.

Good Friday: The Best and Worst Day

Posted on by Justice

I have always wondered why it is called Good Friday. It always seemed to me that the name should symbolize the horrors that took place roughly 2000 years ago. When we consider all that Jesus went through, it feels like we chose a poor name for this holiday. Spending more time in God’s word has helped me to realize just how good and bad this Friday really is. Let’s take a moment to look back upon exactly what took place on this day and see whether or not we can still call it Good Friday.

The book of Mark gives us some of the clearest insight into what happened immediately before Jesus was hung upon the cross. Mark 15:16-20 says: “The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the company of soldiers. They put a purple robe upon him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit upon him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.” I don’t know about you, but this passage horrifies me. It seems to perfectly describe the seeds of sin and hate that the devil is constantly sowing in our lives. I wonder how it was possible that these men were able to be so spiteful against someone who had done absolutely nothing to harm them. What amazes me even more is the fact that Jesus remains silent. You don’t hear Him calling out for help. He doesn’t even rebuke them. Instead, He willingly takes the punishment that we deserve.

In the gospel of Luke we are provided with the most vivid description of the crucifixion. Luke 23:32-43 says: “Two other men, both criminals were also led out with him to be executed. When they came near to the place called the Skull, they crucified him along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was written a notice above him, which read: This Is The King Of The Jews. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what we deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”” This is it. Jesus hanging there on the cross to pay for our sins. There is not a hint of anger in His voice. Sadness, perhaps, but not anger. Instead as He hangs there dying He shows His love. “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” How could they not know? They were brutally murdering an innocent man. Not only that, they were brutally murdering The Son of God. Jesus had every right to be angry, but all we can see is His great love.

Perhaps the love that Jesus showed almost 2000 year ago is the reason that we call today Good Friday. The fact of the matter is that great evil took place. The devil was most definitely rejoicing to see Jesus dying, but he wasn’t ready for what would come next. In hindsight we know that Jesus rose from the dead. We know that we can spend all of eternity with Him thanks to the gift He gave us. We know that His blood paid the price for our sins. This should be humbling. We are so rotten, that it cost Jesus His life to cover over the mistakes we made. One final thought that I believe we all should be thinking about this Easter. One of the criminals mocked Jesus. We all know where he went when he finally died, and it’s not a nice place. The other man approached Him in humility, asking for forgiveness. What did Jesus say to him? “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” This is why we call today Good Friday. Not because of the great evil that took place. We call today Good Friday because of the good news of salvation that Jesus purchased for us.

The Flowers of Mount Vernon

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Getting to visit the home of George Washington was incredible. Just travelling through Virginia, I was overwhelmed by all of the history around me. I wanted to stop and see everything, but there wasn’t enough time. Visiting Mount Vernon was one of the highlights of the trip and I would definitely recommend visiting if you get the chance. (Disclaimer: Mount Vernon is privately owned, and tickets can get pricy. For anyone with a large family, consider buying a membership instead.) While we were there, I decided to take some pictures of the flowers I came across. That inspired me to write this article. It’s amazing all of the flowers and blossoms in Virginia at this time of year. It’s even more amazing because of the fact that the temperature at home is a whopping 19 degrees. Rather than taking the time to meticulously describe every flower I came across, I have decided to save time and include the pictures below. Please give this a like if you enjoy them.

My Dream Vacation.

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I just got back from a vacation that fulfilled my childhood dreams. When I was younger, I really wanted to go to Washington D.C. I wanted to see the Washington Monument and the original copies of our founding documents. I am so grateful that God blessed me with not just the opportunity, but also the perfect excuse for this trip. What was my excuse? College. I had been accepted to two different colleges in Virginia, and I wanted to go see the campuses before I had to make my decision. Ironically, I am still nowhere near a concrete decision, but I did learn a lot.

When it really comes down to it, I’m grateful that I got to go on the adventure of a lifetime and enjoy it with my family. I know that it has been a while since I updated the Adventure category. So, in the wise words of Nick Fury: “It’s about… time.” Get ready for a slew of new posts on adventures. Tips for navigating D.C. in just one day, a collage of flowers I found at Mount Vernon, and our first ever restaurant review. With summer coming up, it’s time to get ready for adventures of your own, and Life Adventure Games will be there with helpful advice along the way.

3.14…… Happy Pie Day!

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3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628.

Today we all get to celebrate my favorite number. (Well…. sequence of numbers.) Just seeing the date on the calendar brings tears to my eyes, as I remember how long it’s been since I’ve had pie. Every year on March 14, (3.14) our family whips out a pie, and we celebrate this ironic date. But there is much more to Pie Day than we often realize: 62,831,853,071,796 digits more, to be precise. This year I’d like to challenge you. As you bite into that delicious slice of homemade, storebought, or DoorDash delivered pie, remember just how many numbers had to be discovered so that we could enjoy this holiday. (3 Technically)

Life Adventure Games is conducting a survey in honor of Pie Day. Please feel free to fill out the form and stand up for your favorite pie. Whatever type of pie receives the most support will receive its own post to celebrate its victory.

Take The Survey

Debating: Some simple tips to get you further.

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Last year was my first year doing Speech and Debate through NCFCA. During the year, I learned a lot about the fundamentals of debate, and how to write a good case. This year I am hoping to grow even more and learn how to better use my skills for God’s glory. I am just coming out of my second tournament this season, and there are a few things that I have learned that I believe anyone can apply to their debate tactics, regardless of whether or not you debate competitively. This article will hopefully provide you with some useful advice that will help you to take your debating to the next level.

1: Know your topic:

This probably seems self-explanatory. After all, how can we debate if we don’t even know what we are talking about? However, it is easy for us to become complacent. I started off the year with a very shallow understanding of the resolution, and it took multiple losses to motivate me to dig deeper. When it comes to the question of rationalism and empiricism there are so many different approaches people can take. The only way to be ready to respond to someone else’s arguments is if you really understand the topic.

2: Question your own understanding:

When you take the time to question your own understanding, you can come across all kinds of inconsistencies. If you can’t answer simple questions about your own case, you are probably not ready to be debating. Here are a couple of questions that I believe can help you to assess your own understanding, and check for weaknesses in your cases.

A: Can I summarize my case in 2-3 sentences?

This helps to check your understanding and give you a starting point for further questions.

B: Is my summary a reasonable argument?

Asking yourself this question can help you to quickly recognize major issues. Your argument should be a series of claims that don’t need support to be effective. If the claims you make are faulty, it doesn’t matter how much evidence you squeeze in there. It still won’t work.

C: If I were arguing against this, what would I say?

Try to tear your own claims apart. If you do this well, you should start to feel discouraged. When I first look at a case I’ve written, I think that it’s invincible. However, when I take the time to question my own arguments, I discover that it isn’t. Attacking your own claims is an easy way to find the weakness in your case. If your case is strong, you might have a hard time arguing against the summary. When that happens, it is time to start attacking your support.

D: What do my friends and family think?

When I write an argument, I feel like I understand it really well. This can be fatal. Not everyone who listens to you will be as well read in philosophy, political theory, or theology as you think you are. Last year, I ran my case by one of my brothers. This enabled me to ensure that my case made sense to someone who hasn’t dedicated their time to studying the issues at hand. Simplicity is key to a good argument, and your friends and family are the perfect people to ask for feedback. If they don’t understand you, you have failed to communicate your side clearly. Other people can also help you to think about new perspectives that you may have failed to consider.

3: Support, Support, Support:

Does your case have lots of evidence? If it does, you are on the right track. However, a well-supported case is just the beginning. Take some time to think about your last rebuttal. Did you have as much support for the claims you made then? This year I have been working on compiling evidence, support, and responses to some of the common arguments that I have seen. For example, a lot of people this year have chosen to use a value of truth for their cases. The best way to prepare for future rounds is to have evidence to support your own claims about your opponent’s understanding of truth. Most people have an internal bias that causes them to fall prey to a fallacy known as “appeal to authority”. This fallacy happens when we value the name of the person more than the logic of their claims. This internal bias is why it is crucial to have support for your arguments. No matter how reasonable your claims are, people will often tend to fall to the side that is most supported by big names like Aristotle, Plato, or even Donald Trump.

4: Be respectful:

When I get nervous, you can tell. I start to talk faster and take a more aggressive approach to my arguments. Whenever we begin to let our emotions take over, we lose credibility. It’s a lot easier to believe someone who calmly approaches an argument than someone who can’t keep their emotions in check. When it comes down to it, the purpose of debating is to help share the truth with others. In most cases, your debate will do very little to persuade your opponent. Instead, you should be trying to persuade your audience. The easiest way to do this is to be yourself and show respect. Someone who is fake is much harder to trust than someone who is sincere and cares about what they have to say. It’s okay to be passionate, but make sure you keep your emotions from taking over.

5: Trust God:

I learned a lot about trusting God last year. If you want to hear about my experience of His provision and timing in debate, you can read this post. https://lifeadventuregames.com/2023/05/08/paving-the-road-for-us/ It can be tough losing. Trust me, I have had my fair share of losses. What we need to remember is that our arguments, and our debates are supposed to be used for God’s glory, not ours. 1 Corinthians 10:32 says: “Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” If we choose to debate for our own benefit, we will only ever be disappointed. God wants us to be humble and to seek Him first. Putting God first will enable us to truly see the purpose, power, and impact of our debates.

Trump Proposes Lego Border Wall

Posted on by Justice

After his previous attempts at defending our border were literally ‘torn down’ by the Democrats, Trump is striking back with an even better plan. L.A.G was able to secure an exclusive interview with the former president to gain insight into his new approach.

Q: “What exactly is your plan for restoring the border wall?”

A: “Well, I have this great plan, and it’s going to keep America very safe. You know all the Mexicans, and other unsavory types that have been pouring across our sacred borders. Well, I was thinking, there’s one thing they all share in common; They don’t have shoes.”

Q: “All right, and how has this sudden revelation inspired you?”

A: “Well, to make America great again we also need to make America safe again. That’s something that sleepy Joe doesn’t know how to do. He lets these guys run barefoot across our border, and he welcomes them with shoes and a cellphone. So, I thought to myself, “That’s it, a very great plan that we can use to stop the coming hoards.””

Q: “Okay, how do you plan to achieve this?”

A: “Well, that’s where it comes down to the people. You see, we have to work as a team to stop the Democrats from ruining our country. This new plan will only work if all the real Americans are ready to stand up for freedom. Here’s how you can help to save our nation and our border. I am running for president, and you have to trust me, I know how to stop this. The thing is, we can’t let people like Ron De-sanctimonious get in our way. Today I’d like to call on my fellow Americans to walk with me down to the border. Here’s what we are going to do, we are going to grab all our Legos and walk down to the border where all the people are pouring through, and I’m going to walk down with you. Then we are going to pour out those Legos as our new border. As they run across into our country, they will be stopped by searing pain. This is how we, as true Americans, will stand up and make America great again.”

Following this interview Democrats responded by once again trying to ‘tear down’ the former president’s ideas. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi explained: “Trump’s new plan for the wall is even less ethical than the last one, besides it’s a waste of good Legos that I could use to put a wall around my own house.” Other Democrats responded similarly.

Life Adventure Games is considering starting a fund to help support Trump in his efforts to once again secure our border. If you would be interested in donating new or used Legos to the cause of freedom, please let us know in the comments.